The Leaving
by Kilrez
Summary: Jarod is shot non fatally. There's gangsters and bombs and memory wiping involved. OK everyone, this is the last chapter. All done. Yes, finished.
1. Trigger Happy

Disclaimer: I swear, I didn't mean it! Don't hurt me- err, I mean, there is no infringement intended, I'm just a fan writing for fun  
  
Author's note: This it written before the final series and the movies- mostly because they never bothered to show the final series or the movies in Australia- at least, not where I could see them.  
  
Jarod all but dived through the doorway in the alley as a bullet grazed the brickwork behind him. He quickly scanned the large empty warehouse around him. There were two doors so he dashed for the nearest one, praying that it would be open. He yanked desperately on the doorknob but it was too late. The door burst open behind him.  
  
He turned in frustration to face his pursuer. After leading the Centre operatives on a long chase through the downtown slums, it seemed that they would get him at last. Still, only Miss Parker had managed to follow him this far. How she did it in those heels was beyond him. He paused, leaning against the locked door and catching his breath while he waited for her to make the next move.  
  
"You bastard. No more 3am phone calls dragging me across the country to chase dead ends."  
  
"Why Miss Parker, I thought you enjoyed a challenge." He said with a twinkle in his eye. If he was lucky, there was still a way out of this.  
  
"Not as much as I'll enjoy handing you over to my psycho twin and walking out of the Centre forever."  
  
"Now why don't I think that's going to happen? Oh yes, your psycho twin in conjunction with your lying father want you where they can see you. There's no way they're going to let you leave that place."  
  
"Yeah, well we'll see about that when we get there, won't we." She sneered with a bone-chilling smile. She wanted nothing so much as to wipe that annoying smirk off his face. Keeping her gun trained firmly on the pretender she tossed him a pair of handcuffs. His smile growing wider, he put them on.  
  
"Oh come on Miss Parker, you know the only way you'll find the truth about your mother is if I'm out here."  
  
Lyle and a sweeper took that moment to burst through the door behind her. They pulled up short panting when they saw the situation. A smile spread across Lyle's face that was eerily similar to the one his sister was still wearing to mask a stab of uncertainty.  
  
"Well done sis, I was getting worried that you might be losing your touch."  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you Lyle. Wonderboy is coming home." Snarled Parker.  
  
Jarod watched both the twins carefully as Parker took her attention off him to snap at her brother. It was now or never. He dove for the other door as Sam yelled a warning. A shot went off. The door fell open as Jarod felt burning pain blossom in his leg.  
  
Lyle and Parker abruptly ceased their bickering to dash simultaneously for the door. Lyle yanked on the handle to find that it had been locked from the other side. He shot the lock off then kicked it open into another warehouse, this one half full of bales of wool. Jarod had disappeared. Miss Parker swore fluently and tucked her gun back in its holster.  
  
"Find him, he can't have gone far." She sighed her orders, even knowing that there was no way they would locate him. He had gotten away again. She swore.  
  
TBC. (This is the first story I've actually written specifically for www.fanfiction.net, the other's I just wrote for myself and decided to publish.) 


	2. Amatur Surgery

Chapter Two  
  
Disclaimer: See chapter one. If you can't be bothered then I'm hoping you can't be bothered to sue me either.  
  
Jarod wiggled deeper into the tiny space he was wedged in and prayed that they wouldn't find him. If they did he didn't have much of a chance- his leg was pounding in pain and bleeding freely. He just hoped that they would think that he had kept running instead of choosing to hide.  
  
The sounds of infrequent swearing and footsteps finally faded away but he didn't move for a long time, mostly because he didn't think he could muster the strength. Eventually he hauled himself onto his unwounded leg and slowly hopped out.  
  
A bent nail lying discarded on the floor freed him of the cuffs. Pausing for a moment to catch his increasingly short breath he salvaged a stray piece of wood to use as a crutch then contemplated his next course of action. He couldn't check into a hospital without the Centre pulling up outside within the hour. There was really no choice but to treat the wound himself.  
  
He rolled up his pants to look at the bullet hole for the first time and groaned. There was no exit wound and the blood was spurting bright red. It was serious. He ripped a strip of his shirt and tied a tourniquet. Then, with great difficulty he made it out of the warehouse and towards a place where he hoped he could get what he needed without too many questions being asked.  
  
*******************************  
  
Parker rolled over and tried to find a more comfortable position on the cheap motel bed. It was no use; she couldn't sleep. Irritated she got up and pulled on some clothes. Something didn't feel right.  
  
She couldn't think in the small room. Feeling suddenly claustrophobic she decided she was going for a walk. She picked up her 9mm and tucked into its holster then wrenched the door open and stalked out of the room. She took a deep breath of the cool night air then picked a direction at random and started walking.  
  
All was silent as she passed the room that Lyle and Sam were sharing. Their flight back to Delaware had been overbooked so they had been forced to stay a night in the city.  
  
Parker absentmindedly strolled through the streets, turning whichever way felt right. She didn't realise she was going somewhere almost until she was right outside the doors of the warehouse where they had lost Jarod.  
  
Unable to stop herself, she entered the large building. Dim light filtered through the dusty windows from the streetlights outside and illuminated something she hadn't noticed earlier. There was a dark trail of dots and footprints tracking across the floor from the door that Jarod had come through.  
  
Beginning to suspect that something had happened she followed it to find a large pool of it between a gap in the wool bales. She remembered the shot that Sam had let off. She had taken for granted that it had missed. Now she was worried. With the amount of blood that was here, Jarod might be seriously hurt. Whatever she claimed, she didn't want him dead. Most of the time, anyway.  
  
She knew straightaway that he wouldn't have gone to a hospital. That would have led them straight to him. He would probably try and treat it himself. Trying to work on instinct and not think too hard she followed the path that Jarod would have taken.  
  
Out of the warehouse and back onto the streets she went, trying to put herself into Jarod's shoes. Passing a row of shops empty of people with the late hour, she came to a seemingly abandoned building. She intuitively knew this was it.  
  
The front door was unlocked. It was dark inside but she could see yellow light spilling out from a crack under a door. Cautiously she made her way towards it and put her ear against it. Faint sounds emanated through it. She put her hand on the handle and slowly pushed the door open. The scene inside made her heart jump.  
  
Jarod looked up at her like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. He was sitting on a bench against the wall opposite the door with one hand wrapped around the neck of a bottle full of a light amber liquid. The other hand was holding a wicked looking scalpel over the flame of a small gas oven.  
  
"Good evening Miss Parker." He said in a slightly slurred voice.  
  
"Jarod, what are you doing?" She replied, trying to hide her shock at actually finding him.  
  
"Getting drunk enough that I can't feel it but not so drunk that I can't get the bullet out," he said, swaying slightly as he put the bottle and the scalpel down and braced against the wall to stand up. At least he tried to. Halfway up, the one leg he was standing on gave out and he sat down again. Parker got the feeling that it wasn't just the alcohol that stopped him from getting up. He looked weak from loss of blood.  
  
He looked up at her and sighed. "Don't make me go back," he pleaded. She could see that he knew that he couldn't get away. She looked into his dark brown eyes and felt herself waver.  
  
"What are you going to do with that scalpel?" She asked, avoiding his beseeching eyes.  
  
"I have to get the bullet out then cauterise the wound."  
  
"You can't stand and you're going to try and perform surgery? Jarod-" she paused, unsure what to do next.  
  
He cocked his head on one side and looked at her then picked up the scalpel and stretched the injured leg up on the bench, a look of drunken determination on his face. Parker made up her mind.  
  
She took her hand off her gun holster and strode purposefully across the room. "Let me help." He looked at her in surprise but he was in no condition to argue. Instead he took a deep swig of his drink and handed her the scalpel.  
  
"Okay. You're going to have to talk me through this." She said, bending over to look at the hole in his leg.  
  
********************************  
  
Several hours later, Parker awoke to the deep rumble of a garbage truck outside. She had fallen asleep with her back propped against a wall. She looked over to where Jarod was sleeping still. He was curled in a foetal position on a pile of blankets on the floor.  
  
The night's events came rushing into her head. She groaned. Her father would not be happy.  
  
To be continued 


	3. The Leaving

Chapter Three  
  
Disclaimer: unless you're some sort of strange person who always skips straight to the third chapter of a story then you've already read the disclaimer. If not . . . well, it goes something along the lines of 'don't sue me!'  
  
The first thing that Jarod knew when he woke up was that the light behind his eyelids was far too bright. His head was pounding and his tongue felt like it had been coated with the contents of an ashtray.  
  
He lay still for a while trying to remember where he was. *Oh yeah* he thought as an ache in his right leg reminded him. He opened his eyes to find Parker watching him from where she was sitting against a wall. "Morning" he said groggily. Even so, he smiled. She was still here. Just maybe . . .  
  
"How are you feeling?" She asked cautiously. He grimaced and rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands. "Like I've been run over with a steam roller, but I think the leg will heal. Thank you."  
  
He pulled his shoes on then grabbed his makeshift crutch from where it was leaning against the wall. Carefully standing up he gently tested his injured leg. It was still too sore to stand on but he could move easily enough using the crutch.  
  
He picked up his jacket from the bench where he had sat last night, noting how much blood was now staining the wood. Straightening, he looked over to where Parker was still sitting with her back against the wall. She slowly shook her head in mild disbelief. "Last night I cut a bullet out of your leg and this morning you just get up and walk away."  
  
"And yesterday you were responsible for the person that put it there, but people change" He paused and smiled. "Come with me."  
  
The suggestion shocked the hell out of Parker but at the same time it didn't surprise her at all. Despite all her efforts in the years that she had chased him, she never seemed to be able to convince that she was a truly bad person. He was always trying to save her soul from the hell that they both knew as the Centre. Deep down she didn't want him to give up on her. He had always been there for her, and last night she had been there for him. No one at the Centre except for Sydney knew her as well as he did.  
  
Parker knew that it was impossible that they would ever be happy. The Centre would never stop chasing them. Then she looked into the deep liquid pools of his eyes and saw the little boy that she had fallen in love with. 'What the hell,' she thought, 'It'll only get me killed.' She nodded slowly feeling like she was jumping of a cliff on the spur of the moment.  
  
Jarod's face lit up with joy and immediately made her choice worth it. Then, in an instant he became all seriousness and planning. He wanted to know why she hadn't flown back to Delaware last night and if Lyle and Sam would be searching for her. When he was sure that they were safe for the time being, he pointed out where a dusty but still functional bathroom could be found then limped to the shops to buy some supplies.  
  
By the time he had come hopping back from the shops with a new pair of crutches that he had acquired, Parker had showered and mentally prepared herself to leave the Centre for good. She combed her wet hair with her fingers as he explained the plan for staying free to her.  
  
To be continued 


	4. On the Run

Chapter Four  
  
Disclaimer: Do I really have to put a disclaimer on every chapter? What the hell- THE CHARACTERS AREN'T MINE!  
  
Lyle paced outside his motel room and tried Parker's mobile again. It was turned off. He restrained the urge to punch the wall. They had woken up to find her gone along with her phone and her gun. She hadn't left so much as a note. Lyle was getting more and more frustrated. If she didn't return soon they would miss their flight.  
  
At that thought a small snake of malice unwound itself in his belly. If she was going to traipse off in the middle of the night then she would just have to get home on her own. Their father would be mad at him, not to mention Parker herself but it would be well worth it just to see the look on her face when she got back.  
  
**********************************  
  
Parker glanced over at Jarod where he slept with his head leaning on the rental car window. He had wanted to drive but Parker had insisted. He had told her where they were going and there was no way he could drive in his condition anyway, as proven by the way he had rapidly fallen asleep once they had gotten out on the freeway. However he acted, he was badly injured and he needed time to recover.  
  
Parker couldn't help feeling a tender protective instinct rise in her chest as she looked at him again. She tried to shake it off. She reminded herself that she was only throwing her lot in with him because the Centre was never going to let her go willingly. Things were heating up in hell and she'd known for a while now that it was coming time to leave. Jarod had just provided an opportunity. It had nothing to do with personal feelings whatsoever.  
  
She sighed and tried to concentrate on the driving.  
  
**********************************  
  
Jarod could feel her next to him, watching him during the drive, even as he slept. He knew he shouldn't trust her completely- she was the person that had been trying to steal his freedom ever since he had escaped and she hadn't exactly forsaken her gun yet.  
  
Still, he felt safe and protected with her eyes on him. He inhaled her sweet perfume and slipped a little deeper into his dreaming.  
  
Several hours later he awoke as he felt the car draw to a halt and the motor switch off. 'Are we there?' He asked blearily, still not fully awake and definitely not feeling 100%.  
  
'If this is "there"' replied Parker dubiously. 'It looks a little different from your usual rat hole.'  
  
'Hey, sometimes even I like to live in style for a while,' joked Jarod defensively, looking out the window at the massive marble hotel that they were parked in front of.  
  
He opened the car door and retrieved his crutches from the back seat as Parker gathered the rest of their meagre possessions from the boot, consisting of a black rucksack and a DSA player. Seeing that they were finished with the car a man in a rich red blazer approached them. 'It is good to see you again sir. Would you like me to park your car for you?'  
  
'Thanks, Bailey. How's your wife doing?'  
  
'Well thank you sir,' replied the man as Parker handed him the keys, impressed in spite of herself. Jarod smiled briefly at her and gave a helpless shrug, as if to say 'I can't help knowing a quarter of the world's population on a first name basis.'  
  
As they entered the luxurious hotel foyer Parker realised that she had never burst in here with a sweeper team. It appeared that the Centre didn't know about all of Jarod's exploits.  
  
The woman on the front desk greeted Jarod with a warm smile and handed him the key to a room. They exchanged a bit off small talk and she exclaimed over his apparent leg injury before Jarod led Parker to the elevators and pushed the button to the top floor.  
  
They stood next to each other in the lift and watched the numbers move in silence whilst Parker tried to justify her feelings of jealousy against the bright and bubbly woman on the front desk that Jarod seemed to know so well.  
  
The room turned out to be large and luxurious, just like the rest of the hotel. Parker glared at the expensive looking prints on the walls whilst Jarod thoroughly checked the place for bugs.  
  
'You know the Centre doesn't know about this place,' she growled as he wandered out of the bathroom.  
  
'You mean you never chased me here. That doesn't mean they don't know about it. You can never be too careful,' he replied, finishing the sweep and hopping over to where she had dumped the rucksack. He leaned his crutches against the wall and delved inside it to retrieve a phone.  
  
'What's that for?' Parker asked warily.  
  
'I need to ring Sydney'  
  
'Why?'  
  
'Because when they realise you're gone, all hell is going to break loose. I have to at least give him a heads up. And Broots has Debbie to think about.' A shudder ran through Parker at his words. It suddenly came crashing down around her that the decision that she had made in a moment that morning was for life, and would affect others that she cared about too. She sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands, sighing heavily.  
  
Jarod put the phone down and limped over to sit beside her on the bed. He didn't touch her or say a word but she could feel him radiating waves of understanding. It was getting on her nerves. She restrained an urge to snap at him, to blame this all on him.  
  
'It's OK Parker. You did the right thing. We both know that if you'd stayed there any longer you would have gone mad or been eaten alive from the inside by that ulcer.'  
  
She didn't say anything for a moment and didn't meet his eyes. Sighing again she closed her eyes and slumped against him. Jarod froze for a moment, surprised at the gesture, then he gingerly wrapped his arms around her.  
  
'They're going to kill us both' she moaned against his chest.  
  
'They'll have to find us first,' he replied confidently, rocking her gently, still taken aback that she would turn to him for comfort.  
  
'What if Sydney and Broots don't get out in time. What if the Centre holds them hostage?'  
  
'Then we'll go in and get them out. I've gotten in and out of there before without anyone knowing.'  
  
Parker relaxed slightly as he gently stroked her back. His supreme confidence that they would be okay was catching. They stayed that way, sitting on the edge of the bed for a long time, Parker drifting towards sleep in his strong arms.  
  
Jarod smiled slightly as he heard her breathing deepen. Trying not to wake her, he lifted gently her into his arms, surprised at how light she was. With a delicate balancing act, keeping most of his weight off his injured leg he pulled back the covers and laid her on the bed. He pulled her shoes off and removed her jacket then pulled the covers up and tucked her in.  
  
He stood there for a few minutes, just watching her sleep. She looked much less fierce and vulnerable somehow. He could see the innocent little girl that still missed her mother when she slept.  
  
Shaking his head to break his reverie, he retrieved his phone and went to stand on the balcony so he didn't wake her.  
  
Sydney picked up on the third ring. 'She did it Sydney.'  
  
'Jarod? Who did what?'  
  
'Miss Parker is asleep a few metres away. She's left the Centre Sydney.'  
  
On the other end of the line, Syd smiled. He was glad that the little girl he had known since she was five had finally gotten out. The fact that she had Jarod looking out for her made him want to laugh out loud for joy. Still she had been in the Centre for so long . . .  
  
'Be careful Jarod. Does she still carry her gun around?' Syd asked cautiously, realising that even though Jarod wanted to believe in the goodness of his childhood friend, she wasn't the person she had been.  
  
'Not yet Sydney, but this is for real. Be ready. Tell Broots.' Jarod ended the call sharply, a bad feeling settling in his stomach. Sydney was right, caution was the best course with Parker for the moment. He wished it wasn't so. Sighing he went back inside the hotel room and tried to make himself comfortable on the couch.  
  
TBC. (Be patient, I'm trying to overcome some pretty bad writer's block here) 


	5. Gang Warfare

Chapter Five  
  
Disclaimer: I'm sure you've all seen one before. Insert one of own choosing here.  
  
The next place that Parker and Jarod stayed proved to be less luxurious. He explained that they would be moving frequently over the next little while just to be sure. It was partially because if Parker called the sweepers in they would be gone before they got there. Jarod knew this subconsciously but he told himself that it was mainly so no one would be able to track them.  
  
The next place that they stayed was a few hundred miles away from the fancy hotel by public bus line. It was downtown New York. It was the back room in the house of a homely woman called Marina, one of the many friends Jarod had made in his time on the outside.  
  
Despite the slightly less expensive rooming, Jarod was relieved to be out of the hotel because it meant separate rooms for him and Parker. She let off a delicious scent when she slept that wove its way into his dreams. He felt that it wasn't right to be having those sorts of dreams about a woman that had frequently wanted to kill him.  
  
Once they had arrived at Marina's house and settled in, she made them all a sumptuous meal. The woman seemed prepared for a score of starving people to turn up out of the blue on her doorstop, let alone Jarod and a 'close friend of his.'  
  
Later, Parker sat on her bed and Jarod on a chair whilst he worked away at something on his laptop. Even as he typed he engaged her in friendly idle conversation.  
  
'Oh come on, you can't tell me you didn't enjoy the look on Lyle's face last time he just missed me!' He joked with her. She stifled a laugh and tried to put on a straight face.  
  
'No, it wasn't funny in the slightest. And how where you watching that anyway? He told us that last he saw of you, you were hightailing it pretty damn fast.'  
  
'I stopped once I was out of sight, he didn't bother to chase me though. The amount of running I've saved from lazy sweepers.'  
  
'You have to be kidding me! Are you telling me that if we'd just run a bit harder we would have caught you?'  
  
'No, but you might have gotten closer.' He grinned. She threw a shoe at him in mock anger. He ducked good-naturedly; loving that already she could forget, for a few moments, her Parker heritage.  
  
'So, where to tomorrow?' She asked amiably when he had stopped laughing. With their current mood Jarod didn't even think that she might betray him as he shared his plans with her.  
  
'Actually were staying here for a day. I've got some business here. A mob boss that I put away a while ago has gotten out early through bribery. The gang kinda holds a bit of a grudge against me from last time but I should be safe enough.' He said, rubbing unconsciously at his wounded leg. Parker raised an eyebrow but didn't comment; instead she flipped off her other shoe and flopped back on the bed to stare at the cracked ceiling.  
  
***********************************  
  
Jarod limped slowly down the alley, his face stony. Parker had insisted on coming with him, pointing out his injured leg as a weakness that could get him killed. He had pointed out that her lack of Pretender abilities could get them both killed. Jarod had dumped the crutches and was decked out in black leather with an unloaded (not that anyone else would know that) gun in an obvious position. He looked the part of a dangerous streetwise thug.  
  
Parker looked pretty dangerous herself but Jarod was worried that she would accidentally give the game away by saying or doing something that didn't fit in with the part. Giving a half sigh, half growl he narrowed his eyes and indicated a pile of rags bundled next to a dumpster.  
  
He paused for a moment to prepare himself and Parker watched in amazement as he changed completely. All traces of innocence disappeared from his face. His appearance became more ragged and lean. He cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders then closed his eyes for a second. Opening them, he focused on the beggar and strode forward.  
  
Parker blinked, feeling like she'd missed something. All traces of Jarod's limp had gone. She shook herself and followed after him, realising it must be hurting him to walk so normally.  
  
Soon he had reached the sorry pile. Not waiting for it to acknowledge him or for Parker to catch up to him he unceremoniously kicked his leg into the dirty bundle of rags.  
  
His foot sunk too deep into the mound for there to be a body in it. Jarod's head shot up and he scanned the street warily. Parker was instantly on edge as she steeped up beside him. 'What happened to your informant?' she asked sarcastically, trying to mask her sudden unfounded fear.  
  
'I shot him' boomed a loud voice down the alley. Jarod didn't flinch but smoothly drew his gun and pointed it down the source. 'Man he's good' thought Parker as she followed his lead and tried to see where the sound had come from in the echoing alley.  
  
As they watched horrified, about twenty gangsters appeared from behind dumpsters or out of doors, blocking both ends of the small alley. They were all holding large guns. None of them were looking friendly.  
  
'Jarod, it's good to see you again,' sneered a large man with a false smile, from behind a row of gunmen. 'Drop the gun my friend. Unless of course you want us to give your girlfriend some ventilation holes.' The man, who was obviously the boss, was oozing artificial friendliness. With his teeth clenched hard, Jarod slowly tossed the pistol to the ground.  
  
He didn't look at Parker but one of the gangsters indicated that she should do the same with the barrel of his gun so she complied. It made a loud clunk as it hit the asphalt.  
  
TBC . . . 


	6. Pistol Whipping

Chapter Six  
  
Disclaimer: Ehem, yes . . . Don't sue; I know they're not mine (duh).  
  
Author's Note: as this story required some knowledge of American geography, I had to go and find an atlas before I could continue it. Sorry, they didn't teach us about the world at my school, they were too busy trying to convince us that there was a reason behind complex numbers.  
  
Broot's fingers tapped rapidly at the keyboard as he tried to ignore Lyle who was breathing threateningly down his neck. He knew that Parker's disappearance a few days ago was linked to Jarod but Lyle didn't. So far Parker's absence hadn't dulled Lyle's enthusiasm for the hunt.  
  
Unfortunately for Sydney and Broots, it seemed Jarod had gotten a little careless. A rental car, driven from the city where they had last lost him to Philadelphia, had been paid for out of the same bank account that had financed bus tickets to New York.  
  
Lyle had already ordered a sweeper team to the hotel where Jarod (and Miss Parker) had stayed in Philadelphia. He had rightfully assumed that Jarod had already left though and was currently pressuring Broots to find Jarod's address in New York.  
  
To Broots' dismay, he was succeeding. It seemed Jarod had been in New York before and had put a prominent underworld figure in jail. He had recently been released. Someone fitting Jarod's description had been spotted around the New York area. All Broots had to do now was to find Jarod's exact address . . .  
  
*****************************  
  
As soon as both Jarod and Parker were disarmed, six men moved in, warily keeping their weapons trained on the duo. Two each held their arms while the third frisked them. Parker's gun had been her only weapon and she assumed the same for Jarod. She was wrong. Their search pulled up one dagger, two throwing knives and a set of lock picks. She shot him a meaningful look, which he ignored.  
  
Once he was sure they were safely contained the mob boss moved forward along with the rest of his gang until Parker and Jarod were the centre of a tight circle facing the large man. One of the gangsters picked up their guns and handed them to the boss.  
  
'You didn't really think you could get away with snitching did you Jarod?' He asked amiably. Jarod didn't answer, he just stood straight and dignified, yet bristling with malevolence. Parker found her fear turning into anger but she kept silent with an effort and followed Jarod's lead.  
  
'So who's your girlfriend?' asked the boss, strolling in a circle around them.  
  
'Leave her alone.' Jarod growled dangerously, still not struggling with his captors. 'Ah ah, be nice.' Replied the man and hit Parker hard on the back of the head with Jarod's gun. She slumped into unconsciousness and Jarod roared. He jerked forward nearly freeing his arms, then kicked out violently towards the evilly laughing man.  
  
The mob boss just smiled and let him rage for a few seconds then gestured to one of the gunmen standing behind Jarod and the now unconscious Parker. Jarod quickly joined Parker on the ground.  
  
************************  
  
Consciousness hit Jarod like a four-ton truck. For a moment he couldn't remember who or where he was. He opened his eyes and the world spun rapidly into focus with a sound like a crowd of people all loudly competing for his attention. The noises slid away and his ribs began to pound in time to his head and his leg.  
  
Groaning, Jarod rolled over onto his other side, only to feel something pull tight against his left wrist. He blinked, trying to clear his still spinning vision then looked down to where he was handcuffed to a very solid looking metal pipe that was bolted into the concrete wall.  
  
He shuffled himself closer to the pipe to give himself some slack then rolled onto his back, gasping at the pain such simple actions bought him. It seemed that the mob boss hadn't been satisfied with just knocking him on the head.  
  
Then he remembered; Parker had been with him. He raised his head and desperately scanned the inside of the building they were in. She was lying a few feet away, unconscious. He relaxed somewhat, seeing that she was still breathing.  
  
Lowering his head back onto the cold floor, he felt the lock of the handcuffs with his right hand. If had been filled with something that felt like dried chewing gum. That was bad. He wouldn't be able to pick that too easily.  
  
Letting out a heavy sigh and ignoring the burning pain it caused, he pulled himself upright with the pipe and studied his surroundings.  
  
They appeared to be in the lobby of a large but not particularly fancy hotel. Dust covered everything. There was no furniture except for that which was impossible to remove. The floor was concrete but it looked like it had once been covered with carpet or rugs now removed. Several large square pillars rose to the ceiling far above. There was a bomb sitting in next to where the front desk would have been.  
  
'A bomb sitting in next to where the front desk would have been.' Thought Jarod muzzily, 'a bomb sitting in next to where the front desk would have been.' He knew there was something wrong with this. 'Oh, yes . . .' he thought, 'I'm going to die.'  
  
TBC . . . I'm sorry I haven't written for a while; the evil techs at my school stole our computers and wiped our hard drives (it was a power trip) and I barely managed to escape with my stories. 


	7. Time Bomb

Chapter, um . . . seven?  
  
Disclaimer: once upon a time there was a really big company that made a really good TV show and all was good and such. Then they axed it and the masses cried out against it. But the big company could not be swayed and so the masses resorted to the lowest sort of revenge- Fan Fiction (*dum dum duuuuumm*). And the big company was annoyed and so they sued left right and centre. One of the masses was a girl who was very poor and also brutally used the characters in strange and twisted stories. Despite her poverty she made no money out of this . . . *trails off*  
  
*Straightens and clears throat* Ehem, yes, what I'm trying to say is don't sue me.  
  
Some time earlier . . .  
  
Lyle strode triumphantly ahead of a team of sweepers. He could feel that this time was it. They'd found him.  
  
There had been a brief disappointed pause in the chase when they had burst in on Marina but she had told them that Jarod had gone out to do some business. Lyle hadn't known to ask about Miss Parker so Marina hadn't said anything. She'd been too scared of the strange men in suits that had waved guns at her. But she lived in New York and had soon gotten over it.  
  
Now Lyle and his team were seeking out the mob boss to enlist his help in catching Jarod.  
  
*****************************  
  
Also some time earlier . . .  
  
The very person that Lyle was seeking was currently engaged in a long game of poker. The smoky room was full of his loyal gang members. There was a pile of chips in the middle of the table and all were concentrating on their cards when the group of black suited sweepers burst in, Lyle in the centre of them. All had their pistols trained on the gangsters.  
  
In that instant, every person in the crowded room had drawn their own firearm. 'He's not here,' stated one of the sweepers. There was a lengthy pause as the two sides considered each other then Lyle grinned and lowered his own weapon. 'I apologise sir,' he said, trying to cool the situation, 'have you seen this man?' He pulled out a picture of Jarod.  
  
In his turn the fat man sitting at the card table returned a grin and gestured to his men to lower their guns. 'Ah, Jarod. I've dealt with him. In about half an hour there will be bits of him all over down town Manhattan.'  
  
'Where is he?' Asked Lyle, his smile fading. If Jarod died, it would be a significant loss to the Centre.  
  
'What do you want with him?' Asked the gangster warily. Lyle sensed that he wanted Jarod to suffer.  
  
'He has done something to displease those I work for. They want to see him locked in a small cage for a long time.' Lyle desperately hoped his ploy would work. They needed the man to tell them what he had done with the Pretender.  
  
The gang leader smiled. It would be a fitting vengeance. And if the smarmy man didn't make it in time then he too would probably been blown to bits. 'He's in an abandoned hotel a few miles from here. "The fourth elephant."'  
  
Lyle nodded his thanks and the sweepers bundled out of the room to close their lead on Jarod.  
  
*****************************  
  
Jarod yanked futilely against the handcuffs then just lay back and relaxed. 'No,' he protested weakly, feeling helpless. There was nothing he could do. He was handcuffed across the other side of the room. The rapidly ticking little red numbers were a solid and impersonal countdown to his death. Ten minutes and fifteen seconds and then no more pain. His head hurt so he lay down again. Then he remembered; Miss Parker would die now if he didn't do something.  
  
A wave of panic overtook him. He loved her. He'd never realised it before but he would give anything to make her happy. He couldn't fail her. Not now.  
  
'Miss Parker?' he mumbled softly. She didn't stir. 'Miss Parker, please wake up,' he begged her, louder. She stayed well and truly unconscious. With an effort he stumbled to his feet, the handcuffs sliding up the pole to allow him.  
  
The lock of the handcuffs was beyond him; even with his set of picks the lock was jammed up, so he turned his attention to the copper gas pipe.  
  
It was about half an inch in diameter and it was held into the solid concrete wall by strips of metal that had screws driven through them and into the wall.  
  
He glanced back at the bomb- nine minutes and fifty-two seconds.  
  
Sighing he braced himself then threw his entire weight against the handcuffs. They abruptly pulled him up short and it felt like his shoulder had been pulled out of its socket, but there was a groan from the gas pipe. Gritting his teeth he tried again. Red-hot agony went through his shoulder but the pipe began to bend away from the wall. Small flakes of concrete came away from the screws.  
  
Stopping for a moment Jarod tried to pry at the screws with his fingernails. He ripped and tore them before he angrily pulled at the pipe again. There was a high screeching sound and three of the connectors popped out of the wall. The screws tinkled to the floor. Where the handcuffs had pulled strongest the copped pipe had bent away from the wall.  
  
Nine minutes and eight seconds.  
  
Jarod ran his hand up and down the pipe. There was a join about shoulder level. He moved the handcuff chain up to that level and heaved. There was a faint hiss of escaping gas. Seizing the chain of the cuffs with his free hand to save his shoulder he threw himself backwards. And hit the floor with a thump. The pipe had given way and was spewing gas. He didn't care. Turning he dashed to Parker's side.  
  
Eight minutes and thirty-five seconds.  
  
Her head was turned to one side and closer to he could see the blood matted in her shining dark hair. It was oozing from the lump on the back of the head. 'Parker?' He asked, gingerly brushing the hair out of her face. She didn't answer but there was a faint rise in her chest.  
  
Jarod took a deep breath. She was alive. Carefully, he rolled her into the recovery position. Leaning over her he couldn't think what to do for a second. Despite the blood she looked peaceful with her eyes closed- like she was just sleeping. Jarod hovered over her, not sure if she was OK or not. He could feel something fighting for his attention but he pushed it away. Carefully he checked for any broken ribs. After a moment he ascertained that her ribcage was sound.  
  
Six minutes and twelve seconds.  
  
The hissing of the gas pipe broke his reverie. The knowledge of the bomb swam back to the surface of his fuzzy thoughts. The panic returned and Jarod quickly tried to stand making the world spin again.  
  
When it he felt he could walk without falling he stumbled over to the mass of wires and metal that squatted like an ugly electrical toad in the corner. The red, digital countdown numbers stated that he had five minutes and forty seconds to doomsday.  
  
He looked at the explosive and swallowed hard. It was a lump of C4 about the size of a soccer ball. If it blew it would take out an area the size of a city block. Trying to stop his hands from shaking he carefully began to inspect the wiring.  
  
It was a complicated bomb. He didn't know if he could do it in time but nor could he carry the unconscious Parker out of the blast zone in time. Besides, who knew how many people could be hurt if it went off.  
  
Five minutes and twenty-eight seconds.  
  
'Get your hands in the air Jarod.' Lyles voice rang out in the bare hotel foyer.  
  
A shock ran through Jarod. They shouldn't be here yet. He thought. Then he realised that Lyle probably hadn't seen Parker yet. She was behind one of the pillars from the madman's perspective. Likewise, the bomb was behind Jarod's body for Lyle and the sweepers. Even as he realised all this, he didn't reply but kept working at the bomb, the handcuffs dangling from one wrist.  
  
He heard footsteps move closer and the cold barrel of a gun was pressed to the back of his neck. 'Now's not a good time Lyle,' said Jarod with a cockiness he didn't feel, moving slightly to reveal the bomb he was working on.  
  
'Shit.' Said Lyle. 'Is that what I think it is?'  
  
'Yes, and if you don't get that gun away from me I'll kill us all.' Jarod didn't mean his threat but he was tired and he ached all over. It worked though. Lyle withdrew. He must have looked around then for he discovered Parker. 'Shit,' he swore again. 'What the hell did you do to her Jarod?' Asked Lyle, feeling suddenly protective of his sister.  
  
Guilt bit Jarod hard and he hung his head, pausing his frantic work for a second. 'I let her come with me. I should have made her stay with Marina.' He sat there, feeling like the lowest scum for letting Parker get hurt.  
  
Lyle looked at Jarod and realised that he had stopped working. He pulled his gun again and pointed it at Jarod. 'Right, don't stop for anything Jarod. I'm not getting blown up today.' Lyle ordered. He could see the red numbers. They said three minutes and sixteen seconds. And they were ticking fast.  
  
TBC . . . (or will it?) 


	8. Tick Tock

Chapter Eight  
  
Disclaimer: I am broke! Thankyou, that's all I wanted to say.  
  
Two minutes and forty-five seconds.  
  
Jarod had done time in a bomb disposal unit once. But it had been a few years ago. He was out of practice. And with his spinning head and shaking hands, the wires seemed to defy him. He just hoped he had got it right. Adjusting his face he shook his head 'I can't do this,' he mumbled quietly, then sat back on his heels and said it again, louder 'I can't do this.'  
  
Lyle, who had been anxiously hovering just behind him nearly choked. 'What do you mean that you can't do this? We are all dead if you don't. You're a pretender aren't you?' He turned to the team of sweepers who were standing very nervously at the door. 'Get her out of her' he demanded, indicating the prone form of Miss Parker. The dark suited group was only to happy to oblige, carefully picking up the woman they all feared and rushing her into the waiting car outside. None came back in.  
  
Lyle turned back to Jarod who was sitting and staring blankly at the ever- ticking numbers. 'Jarod, if you stop this bomb, I promise that when we take you back to the Centre, you will be treated well.'  
  
This elicited a response. Jarod snorted dryly and stood, wobbling slightly. 'We have just over two minutes to get at least a mile from here.'  
  
'We won't make it. Just stop the bomb.' Lyle demanded desperately.  
  
Jarod just shook his head slowly and didn't move.  
  
With a growl of anger and frustration Lyle sank to his knees on the dusty floor. He scanned the bomb quickly. There were so many wires. 'Which one?' he asked. There was no reply. He turned. There was no one behind him. Jarod was gone. 'Jarod!' He screamed. He felt a desperation settle on him. 'Come on, I can do this,' he whispered to himself, looking again at the multitude of colourful wires.  
  
He looked again at the timer. It said one minute exactly. Lyle began to sweat. Images of past wrongs began to flash before his eyes. He forced them away. They wouldn't help him. He glanced at the timer again and swallowed hard. The numbers were racing. Thirty seconds.  
  
Closing his eyes he began to pray to a god that he had never believed in. Suddenly the numbers said fifteen seconds. Taking a deep breath he grasped the red wire. It was always the red wire. He yanked. It came out with a spark. The numbers kept ticking. Eight . . .  
  
He ran his hands through his hair.  
  
Seven . . .  
  
He searched for another wire.  
  
Six . . .  
  
He fixed his hand around it.  
  
Five . . .  
  
With the desperation of a dying man, he pulled.  
  
Four . . .  
  
He began to frantically rip at the wires.  
  
Three . . .  
  
He tried to rip the block of explosives away from the bomb, but the wires remained firmly attached to it.  
  
Two . . .  
  
With a sigh of defeat and resignation, he lay back on the floor and closed his eyes.  
  
One.  
  
With every muscle tensed and sweat trickling down his forehead, Lyle counted to three. Then ten. The silence roared.  
  
He carefully opened his eyes, fully expecting a blast any second. The numbers had stopped at zero. Jarod had disarmed the bomb and run, leaving Lyle here to make sure he didn't give chase.  
  
Suddenly the adrenaline from his near death experience turned into anger. Lyle jogged toward the doors, reaching for his gun as he did so. He hand groped at the empty holster for a few moments until he realised that Jarod had pick pocketed his gun.  
  
Lyle thumped the wall next to the big double doors. He would kill the bugger when he got his hands on him. Then a slow smile spread across his face like an oil slick. A plan was forming to get him back for good.  
  
*****************************  
  
Jarod staggered into the motel room and collapsed on the bed. He passed out almost immediately. He half woke a few times and he pulled his shoes off the second time before sinking deeper into unconsciousness. He had run all night and until midday the next day, finally managing to check into a tiny roadside motel before collapsing. His injuries sapped his strength. Those weren't the worst of his problems though. The thought that they had Miss Parker resounded through his head again and again, invading his dreams and making him sick to the stomach.  
  
When he finally came all the way awake it was twelve hours later. He opened his eyes and just stared at the cigarette smoke stained ceiling, feeling too sick at heart to do anything else. He hadn't eaten for over two days but he wasn't hungry. They had Miss Parker. It was all he could think about.  
  
Eventually he hauled himself off the bed, awaking in the process all the injuries he had collected over the past week. He mustered all his strength and limped over to the small in-room kitchen area to find something to eat. He would need to eat if he was going to rescue her.  
  
As he sat on the bed and munched slowly on one of the chocolate bars from the mini bar he considered all his options. It was possible that they hadn't realised that she had changed sides. It was possible that she had convinced them that she hadn't crossed them. It was possible.  
  
The other, more likely, options battered at his mind though and he knew he had to consider them if he wanted to form a feasible plan. The other options were that they were holding Miss Parker against her will, maybe to use her as bait. Or even that they had run out of uses for her.  
  
Jarod felt his emotions fading. His thoughts became more objective as he slipped into the mindset that would allow him to plan and carry out what he needed to do.  
  
He finished the chocolate bar and lay back slowly, thinking hard, trying to anticipate the enemy.  
  
TBC . . . (as if it wouldn't be) 


	9. Entering Hell

Chapter Nine (I think. Damn it's hard to remember what chapter I'm up to)  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned these characters and this show, would I be posting on this website, instead of writing new episodes? No? Didn't think so. Oh well. *sigh*  
  
Parker awoke to the smell of disinfectant. She opened her eyes and was temporarily blinded by the stark whiteness of her surroundings. There was a drip in her arm. She put these things together to work out that she was probably in one of the Centre's wards.  
  
She wondered what had happened. He memories seemed sort of fuzzy and unreal. Chasing Jarod through the backstreets of a city with Lyle and a sweeper. Catching up with him and trying to reason with him, only to have him pull a gun on her and try to shoot her. 'Lucky he missed my heart' she thought muzzily 'I'm going to whop his arse when I catch up with him.' At that thought Lyle entered with a doctor and the two other members of her team in tow.  
  
'Morning sis. Nice to see you finally awake.' He chirped brightly.  
  
'How long have I been out for?' she growled, trying not to sound confused and groggy.  
  
'You were bought back here a week ago. Lyle said Jarod shot you in the leg.' Broots filled in the gaps for her, sounding doubtful and nervous at the same time.  
  
'The bastard! I'm going to kill him when I find him.' She snarled, confirming Lyle's story for Broots and Sydney. Ripping the covers off she pulled the drip out of her arm and swung her legs off the bed. 'Where are my clothes?' she demanded, realising she was clad only in one of those annoying hospital gowns.  
  
The doctor pointed to a cupboard by her bed, clearly worried that she shouldn't be getting out of bed so soon after waking up from her coma. She didn't care. She wanted to catch the smug bastard that had done this to her.  
  
The men left so she could get changed and once back in her high heels and small skirt she felt much better. Striding down the halls she sent most ducking for cover at the look on her face. The single-minded resolve she felt would not be deterred.  
  
*******************************  
  
Two days later Broots and Sydney were in absolute awe of her determination. Despite her week long unconsciousness she was unstoppable- coming in early and working late, searching hard for Jarod.  
  
Sydney knew something had happened. Jarod had said that Parker had left the Centre. Sydney had been laying plans for him and Broots to follow. Besides, he knew that Jarod would never shoot someone willingly, let alone Parker. Lyle was lying. The question was how had he gotten Parker to agree with him? The thought that her memories had been tampered with made Sydney nervous. He tried to shrug it off. There was nothing he could do until Jarod contacted him. Still he didn't like it all.  
  
Just then Parker strode in. She never just walked anywhere these days. 'Anything yet Broots?' she demanded. The tech made a plausible attempt to disappear. Any fondness that Parker had shown to him before had disappeared. She had reverted back to how she had been when they had first met. Cold, angry. 'No Miss Parker' replied Broots, flinching at the storm that would follow his words.  
  
The room temperature dropped. 'I suggest you try harder then Broots' hissed Parker, cold enough to freeze the hottest pits of hell. Almost growling with frustration, Parker stalked out of the room. The two men left in the room exchanged worried glances as the clicking of her heels faded.  
  
Parker paced restlessly down the dim underground hallways of the sublevels, scattering people in her wake. The anger she felt burned coldly. She couldn't quite account for the single-mindedness she felt on the issue of Jarod. She just knew that she had to catch him.  
  
On a whim she tuned her steps toward the lower levels. Something didn't feel right but she just couldn't figure out what it was. Sighing, she tried to put it out of her mind.  
  
As she went down deeper into the sublevels, the amount of people thinned out. Not many had clearance for down here. By the time she reached SL-24 the endless corridors were empty. She stopped going down and began to navigate the way towards Angelo's space. She needed him to empath some things they had found at Jarod's last hideout.  
  
Parker secretly suspected that Angelo was holding back his gift to help Jarod but she would coax it out of him, one way or another. She walked on head down, knowing the corridors like the back of her hand. Footsteps made her look up. She blinked in disbelief at what she saw.  
  
A black leather clad form was jogging head down towards her. 'It's my lucky day' she thought and pulled her gun. 'Freeze Jarod!' she commanded, aiming at him. He jumped and looked up, stopping dead.  
  
'Parker!' he said in surprise, the happiness in his voice confusing her briefly, causing her stomach to jump. She quashed the strange feelings, cocking the 9mm to make sure he got the message.  
  
'Hands where I can see them Jarod' she demanded. For a second he just stared at her in confusion, then, as if suddenly realising something, he slowly raised his hands.  
  
TBC.(that is, if anyone wants to know what happens next) 


	10. Leverage

Chapter Ten (Yay! Double figures(OK Shutup, I know they're short chapters))  
  
Disclaimer: Mine, all mine! MUHAHA! No, wait, I'm thinking about something else- sorry. *Ehem* Yes, they're not mine.  
  
Jarod lay on the cot in his tiny cell, watched by eleven different cameras, and thought about the only thing he ever thought about these days. Parker. They had stolen her memories. She had no idea that she had agreed to join him. She had no recollection of the night when he had put all his trust in her to extract a piece of lead from his leg. She didn't remember.  
  
He wanted to beat down the walls with frustration. Even with all the things he had planned for, he hadn't anticipated being captured by the very person he had gone into save. He should have waited longer. He should have observed before just rushing in.  
  
The sound of the thick steel door swinging open saved him from another round of self-recriminations. He quickly heaved himself upright on the bed and shuffled back to sit against the corner of the wall. It was a position to defend against random brutality. Of course, if his captors wished, they could put him through seven types of hell before lunchtime.  
  
He had to mentally restrain himself from lunging at the grinning face that appeared in the doorway. It would achieve nothing. He would take vengeance on Lyle later, slowly and painfully as he deserved, for doing this to Parker.  
  
But it was the person following Lyle behind the two large sweepers that had the strongest effect on Jarod. Parker had well and truly reverted back to one of them. 'Only for now,' Jarod promised himself, 'only for now.'  
  
'Morning Jarod' greeted Lyle, looking like all his Christmases had come at once.  
  
'Is it?' asked Jarod, deadpan. He wasn't lying; he had no idea what time it was. Since Parker had captured him in the sublevels he had been locked in this cell, with no contact with anyone. It was a subtle torture technique to make the subject nervous and more willing to open up to his captors. Jarod wasn't going to give them anything.  
  
'Ah yes, of course, it's unlikely that you are ever going to see the sun again so what time of day it is will really start to lose meaning.'  
  
'You really think you can hold me here? Last time you succeeded for all of a week.' Jarod knew that taunting would only get him extra beatings later but right now he was too deep in despair to care.  
  
'They say practice makes perfect' sneered Parker. Jarod didn't reply. He just couldn't manage to speak to her when she was like this- so cold and uncaring. More a prisoner than him, because she was unaware of her cage.  
  
Parker took his silence and pained expression for submission and turned on her heel, no doubt off to torture Broots and Sydney. Lyle, of course, knew better. They both watched her leave and then Lyle spoke;  
  
'Great isn't it? No more worrying about whose side she's really on. And, as an added bonus she works as bait as well as trap.'  
  
'What did you do Lyle?' growled Jarod, threateningly  
  
'Oh just a little technique that was perfected in the renewal wing. A certain drug, combined with verbal suggestions while she was unconscious did it. What's more, she thinks you shot her.' Lyle was practically bubbling over with enthusiasm. Jarod once again restrained the urge to hit him.  
  
'She has no bullet wounds to support that'  
  
'Oh the doctor was only to happy to create a bit of a scar for that'  
  
'You bastard' snarled Jarod, losing his resolve not to hurt Lyle. He went from sitting straight into a lunge right at the evil man's throat. He didn't get there. One of the sweepers whipped out a nasty looking implement and the next thing he knew, Jarod was convulsing on the floor.  
  
Looking down at the pretender's prone form in disgust Lyle sank one expensive shoe into his rib cage once before turning and leaving the room, leaving the sweepers outside the door as guards.  
  
Lyle gave orders as he strode away from Jarod's cell. 'Give him some time to stew. I'll be back in a day or two.'  
  
Jarod didn't watch them leave. He curled into a foetal position around his aching ribs and tried desperately to think of a way out of this.  
  
He could sim Lyle and he knew that there probably wouldn't be any physical torture this time. He also knew that he was in one of the deeper sublevels, under heavy guard with even the air vents watched by cameras and Miss Parker as a hostage against him escaping. Despite his best efforts, despair began to creep into his thoughts.  
  
*********************************  
  
When Lyle re-entered the tiny cell an indeterminable time later Jarod had decided to cooperate. It didn't stop them from putting handcuffs on him. He ignored all Lyles' gloating efforts at conversation as he was led to the sim lab.  
  
The two sweeper guards escorted him to a chair at a desk in the middle of the sim lab then went to stand either side of the door. Lyle had entered in front of them and walked over to study on of the many contraptions that littered the large room.  
  
'I almost forgot to tell you. Sydney and Broots have both been dismissed from the Centre.' He said it casually but the words sent shafts of ice into Jarod's guts. It was impossible to tell whether this meant that they were still okay or not. Still, Jarod kept his face impassive and didn't say anything.  
  
Lyle gave a small snort of laughter. 'What, no cocky comment?' Jarod didn't reply. Lyles face lost its smile, suddenly turning into a ferocious snarl. 'I'd start talking Jarod. Every time you make me unhappy, something unfortunate might happen to Parker.'  
  
'How could you do this to your own sister?' Jarod suddenly snapped in disgust. 'Oh, it was easy really' replied Lyle lightly, his mood turned good again. 'Besides, she doesn't know anything about it.'  
  
'That means its okay then' said Jarod, sarcastically. Lyle frowned then strode over to where Jarod was sitting. 'This is a sim we want you to do. Get to work.' He indicated the files strewn over the surface of the desk. Pre-sim research. Jarod gave an inward groan. The day he had escaped he had sworn that he would never do another sim for the Centre. Wracked with self- loathing he began to sift through the information. Lyle left the room, the door locking with a clunk behind him.  
  
Lyle joined his father in the small room behind the two-way mirror on one of the walls.  
  
'See? Nice and cooperative.'  
  
'Well done Lyle,' replied Mr Parker, 'I'm just not sure I like using your sister this way though.'  
  
'We don't actually have to harm her. It's the threat that we might that will hold him here.'  
  
'I'll leave it to you' said the old man, turning and walking out of the room.  
  
Lyle watched the pretender work in satisfaction for another few moments then followed his father out the door. 


	11. Confrontations

Chapter Eleven (rejoice, for I am up to 10,000 words!)  
  
Disclaimer: I can't believe that the owners of the show could honestly get annoyed enough to sue just because I didn't say that the story wasn't mine. Meh, whatever. The Pretender wasn't my idea.  
  
Jarod finished reading everything and sat back to think. He already knew the answer without simming anything. They had started by giving him a pretty easy problem. What he was thinking about was if the results could possibly be used to hurt people. He didn't know what he could do if they gave him a sim like that but at least thinking about it took his mind off Parker.  
  
He was so lost in thought that he didn't even hear Lyle enter. 'Why aren't you working?' He demanded.  
  
'I'm finished' replied Jarod dryly, trying not to annoy Lyle.  
  
Lyle narrowed his eyes and looked at him suspiciously. 'Time to do the simulation then.'  
  
'I don't need to.'  
  
'Jarod, remember rebelling will only endanger Miss Parker.'  
  
'No, I mean I already know the answer.' Replied Jarod, trying not to roll his eyes at the confused look on Lyle's face. Lyle turned on his heel and strode out, returning holding another sheaf of papers.  
  
'A different sim.' He said simply before dumping them on the desk and stalking out, not even pausing to ask the answer. It was clear that they were testing him. Sighing, Jarod pushed the other papers to one side and began to read through the new set of information.  
  
**********************************  
  
Behind the mirror, Parker was deep in thought. 'What did he mean I'd be endangered if Jarod rebelled?' She muttered. But she already knew. She was being used as leverage to keep Jarod here. What she didn't know was why that should affect Jarod the way it did.  
  
He had shot her in the leg. That just didn't link to a Jarod that would bow to Lyle to stop her getting hurt. Unbidden, thoughts of the strange, compassionate dreams she had been having of Jarod rose in her mind. Dreams of watching him sleep, of crying in his arms, of joking light-heartedly with him. They had never happened but they seemed far more real than even the pain of the piece of lead thudding into her leg.  
  
The small discrepancies that she had noticed all seemed to have something to do with Jarod. She didn't really like the idea but maybe talking with him would solve some things.  
  
Reluctantly she left the room behind the mirror and strode towards the door of the sim lab. The sweepers guarding the outside of the door gave way under her stony glare. A hail of doubt assaulted her as the door was unlocked but she gritted her teeth and entered into the room.  
  
Jarod looked up then paled noticeably when he saw her. They stared at each other for a moment and Parker found herself lost for words. She took a deep breath and steeled her resolve. 'Hello Jarod'  
  
'Miss Parker' he replied, desperately wondering why she had come in here, wondering what he could do to save her. No plans rose to mind.  
  
'Decided to be cooperative have we?' she taunted, unsure of how to get to the point. Jarod didn't reply. 'Why aren't you three states away already Jarod?'  
  
With that question Jarod suddenly realised that, somehow, she already knew what Lyle was holding over his head. What she wanted to know was why it was keeping him here. A thought pushed its way into his conscious mind; 'Tell her the truth.'  
  
'Parker, your brother has wiped your memory'  
  
'As if I'd fall for that one Wonder Boy.'  
  
'I'm not lying. You were all chasing me and Sam shot me in the leg but I got away. Somehow you found me later that night and for whatever reason you decided to help me. Parker, you got the bullet out for me. You agreed to leave the Centre. We were on the run together when some old enemies of mine trapped us both in a building that was about to explode. The Centre turned up just as I was defusing the bomb and I managed to escape again but you were unconscious and Lyle took you back the Centre. That's why I was down in SL-24. I was coming to get you out.'  
  
'Jarod, that is the most unbelievable story I've ever heard'  
  
'Truth can be so much stranger than fiction because truth doesn't have to make sense.'  
  
'I didn't come here to listen to this crap.' She snarled and turned on her heel. Jarod watched her leave, feeling a sense of such desolation and hopelessness that all he wanted to do was curl into a ball and die. Instead he picked one of the pages of writing on the table and began to read.  
  
**********************************  
  
With considerable satisfaction Lyle watched the seventeen different camera angles of a miserable Jarod turning his attention back to his work. The sweepers had disobeyed his orders not to let Miss Parker in to see Jarod but it had turned out well. If a pleading Jarod couldn't get her to remember then nothing would.  
  
Miss Parker would be at the Centre for life. 


	12. Endings

Chapter Twelve  
  
Disclaimer: I blame all typos on the crazed rodents that dash across my keyboard at the most inconvenient moments. Oh, and the whole Pretender thing wasn't invented by me. I'm not that smart.  
  
That night, after Jarod had been locked back in his cell under double guard, Parker went home to think. Despite what she had said earlier, Jarod's story did sound sort of familiar.  
  
She remembered strange bits and pieces that just didn't fit with her other memories. And she wouldn't put it past Lyle to wipe her memories. She tried hard to remember more than just a smell or name. Nothing. Almost crying with frustration and uncertainty she decided to have a glass of wine to loosen up her brain cells. If only Sydney and Broots hadn't been fired. She needed someone to speak to, to confirm or deny these memories.  
  
While she was in the kitchen she began to vaguely start making some food to eat. Pulling anything that looked mildly edible out of the fridge she put a plate together and put it in the microwave.  
  
The name Marie . . . no, Marina floated into her head. Screwing her eyes shut she tried to follow that scrap. Nothing. The microwave beeped. Sighing, Parker opened the door. The smell wafted out and suddenly everything came back in a flood. Eating dinner with Marina, surrounded by gangsters in an alley, driving with Jarod sleeping next to her, picking a bullet out of his leg and most of all; a quiet voice, Lyle's voice, telling her that Jarod had shot her.  
  
Fire ignited in Parker's eyes. He scheming brother would pay for messing round with her head. She was ready to go back to the Centre and into his office and shoot him the and then but she realised she would need a plan for getting Jarod out.  
  
It would be easier to move freely if they thought she was still brainwashed. She realised that her food was going cold. She carried it to the table and schemed as she ate.  
  
************************************  
  
The next day Parker demanded a meeting with her father. When the time came though, Lyle was in the room as well. She told herself that it didn't matter and proceeded to press her case.  
  
'I have been on the chase far longer than Lyle has. I know him better.'  
  
'Angel, Lyle has proven he can get Jarod to cooperate.' *Only because he's holding me as a threat over his head* thought Parker. Mr Parker was trying to beguile her as usual. This time Parker wasn't buying in.. She let the thought fuel her anger.  
  
'Look, I've chased the bastard for years. I caught him and all I get is a bullet in the leg. I want in on the project.'  
  
'She has a good case. What do you say Lyle?'  
  
'Sure sis, be good to work with you again.' Lyle was happy to oblige, confident in the knowledge that Miss Parker's memories would not be coming back.  
  
Parker hid her exaltation well as she strode out of the room. *It begins* she thought.  
  
***********************************  
  
A week or so later . . .  
  
Jarod sat cross-legged on his bed, back to the wall. He knew Lyle would be coming shortly. He had been coming in the same time every morning. Even without a clock he knew.  
  
As predicted, within a minute or two the door creaked open. A shock ran through his body when the face that came through the door was not the expected mad grin. Parker strode in confidently backed by two sweepers but even so Jarod could see that something was different. Before he could place his finger on it, she spoke.  
  
'I've been assigned to the *pretender project.* You'll be working with both Lyle and me from now on.' She turned and strode out and the two sweepers came forward to cuff him.  
  
As usual he was led to the sim lab. The set-up had been changed. In one corner there was a pile of hundreds of different shaped blocks.  
  
'A puzzle?' asked Jarod dubiously, raising an eyebrow.  
  
'The Centre wants to see how fast you can put it together. There are suspicious that your skills have slipped during your time on the outside.'  
  
'Want to place a bet on my time?' Asked Jarod jovially. As hard as she was trying Parker wasn't as cold as she had been.  
  
'You should be able to do it within two and a half hours.' The estimate seemed large to Jarod but he didn't say anything.  
  
'With or without the handcuffs?' He asked. Parker signalled to one of the sweepers who unlocked the handcuffs and started a timer.  
  
Jarod walked over to the pile of blocks, rubbing his wrists and considering the puzzle. All other thoughts were lost as he sat down and began to work.  
  
The next thing he knew he was sitting on the floor next to a three foot square cube, made up of pieces each about one inch cubed.  
  
'One hour, forty two minutes' said Parker, very impressed. She had thought two and a half hours was ridiculous for such a massive puzzle. *Once again, wonder boy proves his genius* she thought dryly. She was also impressed that she hadn't even seen him palm the screwdriver that she had hidden there and she had been watching for it. It was up to him now.  
  
For the rest of the day Jarod performed better than expected on all the tests she put him through. She was able to report positive results to Lyle and her father that evening.  
  
The next day Lyle continued with the testing. Somehow, Jarod found it much harder to concentrate. Words jumbled themselves and he just couldn't visualise the answers to the puzzles. He received a warning that if he wasn't trying his hardest then there would be 'consequences'  
  
Even so the pattern repeated itself over the next week in sims and tests. Lyle was ready to snap but Mr Parker ordered that Miss Parker take over simming with Jarod.  
  
As the days marched on Parker began to get more and more worried as Jarod did make so much as an attempt at escaping. She slipped him a few more tools, including some lock picks but every morning he was still there when she went in.  
  
Finally she arranged that the cameras to his cell were looped for a few minutes so she could talk to him.  
  
It was late but Jarod wasn't asleep when the door creaked open. 'Evening Miss Parker. At least I think it is.'  
  
'Jarod. I've turned the cameras in this room off. I've got about three minutes to talk straight to you. Why haven't you escaped?'  
  
'I thought you were loyal to . . .' He trailed off as he realised that she wasn't acting at all like someone who was Centre brainwashed.  
  
'I remembered everything the night after you told me that I'd had my memories wiped. I thought you knew. I've been slipping you tools.'  
  
'What tools?'  
  
'You didn't get them?' She asked with a sinking feeling in her stomach. He shook his head slowly. Parker glanced up at one of the many cameras. There was a little red light blinking in the corner. Jarod followed her gaze.  
  
Abruptly he stood. 'No time for subtlety. We go, now.'  
  
Parker wheeled and strode out the door, Jarod close behind. The sweepers guarding the door, bored after several weeks of non-events bought Parker's story about a late night sim.  
  
Then they were striding through the corridors, heading downwards by the stairs to avoid being trapped in the elevators. It wasn't long before a wailing siren began to sound.  
  
They began to run. Finally, dodging, and occasionally knocking out sweepers, they made it to SL-27. Jarod led the way through the gloomy abandoned sublevel to the door where he had gotten in three weeks ago. It led to a sort of boiler room where it was possible to access the main vent for this level that led straight up and out.  
  
When they were nearly at the door they ran headlong into Lyle and Raines, heading a large bunch of sweepers. More sweepers came up from behind. Jarod was reminded of similar circumstances in an alleyway full of gangsters. Quiet horror began to edge into his guts. He scanned all the possibilities, looking for an escape but the situation seemed grim.  
  
Suddenly he felt the muzzle of gun pressed to the side of his head. 'Let us go or I blow Labrat's brains out.'  
  
'Now, now sis, calm down. We all know you're not going to do that.'  
  
'Not unless you make me' snarled Parker, cocking the gun. Jarod suddenly found it very easy to fall into a pretend of a hostage.  
  
'I've been watching your acting performance and personally I've been very impressed. Unfortunately for you, I just don't buy the whole shooting thing.'  
  
Parker adjusted her grip on the gun, tightening her finger around the trigger. Jarod's face paled and he swallowed hard. 'Uh, Lyle?' said Jarod shaking slightly 'even I'm buying this right now. Can you just not push her please?'  
  
'It seems we have a deadlock' wheezed Raines ponderously.  
  
'You won't in a second if she pulls that trigger' said Jarod desperately. He was thinking of what would happen if Parker's finger slipped.  
  
'All I ask is that you let us go. You caught us once; you should be able to do it again. Or don't you feel capable Lyle?' She was taunting him, trying to get him to agree anyway she could.  
  
'Sure sis. But it would be less hassle for all if you just handed the gun over.'  
  
'Rather die than go back there' whispered Jarod closing his eyes. Parker clenched her teeth and pulled the trigger.  
  
TBC . . . (ah haha, now review, else I'll leave it there) 


	13. fin

Chapter Thirteen (unlucky for some (including a certain pretender?))  
  
Disclaimer: Oh, yeah right, as if anyone ever reads these things.  
  
There was a hollow click that seemed to unlock Jarod's muscles. He dived for Lyle's gun, and grabbing it, locked his arm around his throat and held him in front as a shield. There was the sound of twelve guns being cocked then just the gentle sound of Raines' wheezing breath.  
  
'Let's try this again,' growled Jarod, 'Let us go or I blow his brains out. And there are actually bullets in this gun.' He was bluffing hard trying to cover his racing heart and shaking knees from his near death experience. No one spoke.  
  
'Tell them Lyle' ordered Jarod, tightening his arm around Lyle's throat.  
  
'Do it' ground out Lyle. Twelve guns were put on safety. 'Hand them to Miss Parker' ordered Jarod, 'left hands, thumb and forefingers only.' The sweepers complied. Raines' face looked like a thundercloud. Parker put all the guns but one on the floor a few feet away.  
  
'Parker does that room have a lock on the door?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
'Right, everybody in.' Heads hung low, the sweepers filed one after the other into a room that was probably once some unfortunate's cell. Raines was last. 'You will regret this Jarod' he growled. Jarod just smiled and shook his head before pushing Lyle into the crowded room and slamming the door.  
  
'There's no functioning cameras down here' commented Parker.  
  
'It could tomorrow before anyone goes looking for them' replied Jarod, grinning at the irony of locking his captors in one of their own cells.  
  
Parker returned the grin then they made their way to the exit. The climb out was long and dirty and they both had to rest a few times before finally heaving the cover off and emerging on Centre grounds a little way from the main building.  
  
Coughing Centre dust out his lungs Jarod looked up at the night sky and laughed out loud with joy. 'The stars are so beautiful' he breathed.  
  
That made Parker laugh. 'Trust you in the middle of an escape to stop and smell the roses.'  
  
'That's what the roses are there for,' he said, and kissed her. He was warm against the cold night air and Parker pulled him closer to her. She was disappointed when they finally had to come up for air. 'Come on, they'll catch us at this rate' he teased gently then led the way towards the car park.  
  
***********************************  
  
'And tonight we have a choice of vehicles, ranging from Volvos, to Ferraris.' He said in a fair imitation of a game show host as they walked among the few cars left at the Centre car park overnight.  
  
'Not my car?' asked Parker.  
  
'They might have a tracer on it'  
  
'Let's take Lyle's car then' she said wickedly.  
  
'Good idea' said Jarod, grinning like a schoolboy and leading the way to a black sports car. He unlocked in and hotwired it, all with just the help of a paperclip from one of Parker's pockets and then they were away.  
  
In the darkness within the car, Jarod finally remembered to ask. 'When did you take the bullets out of your gun?' Parker laughed, realising the thoughts that would have gone through his head when she pulled the trigger.  
  
'The night after I first pulled the bullet out of your leg. Oh, and again when I remembered everything again.'  
  
'Why didn't you tell me' he asked, and there were slight tones of whipped puppy dog in his voice. Parker thought about it and grinned.  
  
'People find it less threatening if they know the gun you're pointing at them is unloaded.'  
  
Jarod snorted in agreement and fell silent.  
  
Once they had been driving for a few minutes Jarod realised he head no idea where he was going. 'Where to?' he asked. Parker looked at him in surprise and had to suppress a giggle. 'I thought you knew.'  
  
'Whatever gave you that impression? I've got a cache of money and ID's here in Blue Cove. Why don't we pick them up and decide from there.'  
  
'What about Sydney, Broots and Debbie?' asked Parker. Jarod stiffened suddenly.  
  
'I thought . . . Lyle said . . .'  
  
'Broots and Syd were fired a day after you were caught. They were reluctant to leave with you down in the sublevels but they weren't exactly given a choice. At least they got severance pay.'  
  
A weight on his heart that Jarod had buried to deal with later evaporated. 'We'll find them once we've got a plan to stay out of reach.' He said confidently, the future suddenly looking much brighter.  
  
The cache turned out to be a post office locker, the key to which was hidden on top of the lockers. 'Sometimes the most obvious hiding place is one where no one thinks to look.' he explained.  
  
Parker didn't answer Instead she took a step closer to him and began to stroke the soft hairs on the back of his neck. He turned to look into her eyes. This kiss lasted longer and Parker found her back against the lockers as Jarod's hands began to roam up her shirt. It felt very good but she mustered all her will and pushed him away.  
  
'No,' she gasped, 'not here'  
  
He groaned in protest but took a step back and stood staring at her, his eyes burning dark with need. 'We're too close to the Centre.' Jarod nodded in acceptance and they walked back to the car.  
  
After driving until 2 am Jarod decided it was time to find a hotel. Parker doubted that any place would be open so late at night but am old style pub was found that boasted twenty-four hour check-ins.  
  
They drove Lyle's car off a handy nearby bridge then walked back to the '24 hour motel.' Sure enough, someone turned up at the first ring of the buzzer and gave them a room for the night. Jarod turned on the charm and managed to get her to agree not to tell anyone that they had come here.  
  
Then Jarod and Parker were alone in a small dingy hotel room with one double bed.  
  
'I don't have anything to sleep in' murmured Parker, eyeing the bed.  
  
'So sleep in nothing,' whispered Jarod.  
  
***************************************  
  
Jarod woke the next morning to find Parker's head resting on his chest, their legs entangled. The night's memories wafted into his sleepy mind and he smiled. He brought one hand up to stroke the silky hair that was spread across his chest and watched as Parker came gently awake.  
  
She opened her eyes and smiled at him sleepily. They kissed and then Jarod reluctantly decided it was probably time to get moving again. As they pulled on the clothes that lay scattered on the floor they discussed plans.  
  
'We don't have a vehicle' pointed out Parker.  
  
'That's okay. Public transport will do fine.'  
  
'For you maybe' grumped Parker jokingly.  
  
'For you then m'lady I will buy a car' replied Jarod, bowing. 'And after that?'  
  
'Find Sydney and Broots'  
  
'The Centre will be expecting that. We'll have to contact them first and give them time to prepare. Maybe set a decoy too'  
  
'And then?"  
  
'We'll see about that when we get to it.' Parker grinned and led the way out of the room. They paid for the night at the front desk and Jarod left a generous tip, just to be certain.  
  
The hotel was situated in a medium sized town just outside of Delaware. With directions gleaned from the hotel lady they headed towards a car dealer. On the way they passed an internet café and Jarod paused suddenly.  
  
'What is it?' asked Parker, worried.  
  
'I just thought of a decoy' he said and Parker followed his gaze to the rows of computers. 'Come on. We'll buy a car then I'll arrange an IRS audit for the Centre.'  
  
'You can do that?' asked Parker, smothering a giggle at the thought of her brother dealing with a tax agent after spending the entire night in a small cell with twelve other people. Jarod gave a grin in response and strode forwards toward the car dealer.  
  
The car dealer turned out to be a shoddy-looking second hand car shop. The salesman tried to ask twice the value of the car but Jarod haggled the price down then made the man's jaw drop by paying in cash.  
  
They drove the car back to the internet café and Parker parked it as Jarod went in to pay for three hours of internet time.  
  
She pulled a chair over to watch as he took eight minutes to hack through a world-class security system and arrange an audit for a mysterious company in Blue Cove, Delaware. What took the rest of another two-and-a-half-hours was finding out where Sydney and Broots had disappeared to after leaving the Centre. The last half-hour was used to plant a few tax discrepancies in the Centre system and cover any tracks.  
  
'Broots could have done it faster' teased Parker as they got back in the car and headed north. 'Broots has had more practice' defended Jarod.  
  
'Yes but you're a genius'  
  
'So is he'  
  
'Whatever you say Labrat' she said in mock disbelief. Jarod laughed and they spent the rest of the very long drive talking and laughing together. All remnants of the old ice queen had melted.  
  
After the first few hours they took turns driving and sleeping and within a day they were entering New York. When a parking space had been found Jarod gently woke Parker and they walked the two blocks to a front door that they had left what felt like a lifetime ago.  
  
Jarod rang the doorbell. There was a cry of 'just a minute' then the door was pulled wide. There was a disbelieving pause before Jarod was enveloped in a tight hug as Marina loudly berated him. 'You naughty boy, you had me worried sick, why didn't you tell me where you went, your friends have been moping around like wet rags . . .'  
  
At the mention of Sydney and Broots, Parker managed to break in on the monologue. 'They're still here?' she asked but the question was made unnecessary as the two men and one little girl came to investigate what all the noise had been about.  
  
'Jarod, Miss Parker!' exclaimed Sydney in complete shock. Marina released Jarod and he stood there grinning at the look on his mentor's face. Debbie ran out to hug Miss Parker.  
  
'What happened? How did you get here? How did you escape?' gushed Broots all at once as he finally got over his speechlessness. Jarod opened his mouth to answer but Marina interrupted him and insisted they all get off the door step and come inside so they all crowded into her tiny kitchen whilst she made tea.  
  
Jarod and Parker told the story of their capture and escape, interrupting and filling in bits for each other the whole way. Broots and Sydney were suitably impressed. Sydney apologised profusely for not coming to rescue them but Jarod would have none of it saying that they would have only put themselves in danger by going back to the Centre.  
  
'And it turned out fine without you trying to get yourselves killed' chipped in Parker.  
  
'You still haven't told us how you came to be here' Jarod reminded them  
  
'Not much to tell really' replied Sydney  
  
'Yeah,' agreed Broots, 'the day they captured you we were given one weeks notice. Once we had cleared out our offices we had a discussion about what to do next. We both agreed it was not a good idea to stay exactly where the Centre knew we'd be and then Sydney suggested we came here until we could set up something more permanent.'  
  
'And they're all extremely welcome here. It's nice to have company at my age. And any friends of Jarod's are friends of mine.' Marina declared happily.  
  
'We won't be able to stay for long Marina' Jarod warned her, 'now that everyone is out, there's no reason not to tick off the next item on my 'to do' list.'  
  
Parker looked at him sharply and he turned to her and winked. 'You mean . . .' started Broots.  
  
'Yep,' replied Jarod, 'Mr. Parker is going to have to look for a new job.'  
  
The End  
  
PS. No I'm not going to write about how they bring the Centre down because that just gets boring after a while so don't ask please (just in case you were going to, even though you probably weren't)  
  
Thanks to Gemini006007, ICD, Nans, Jaccione, Kimmi G, pretender-gurl, Anna, Carolina, 3173, story reviwer, rev, inchridie, lynn, max and any one else who might review this after I post this chapter. I couldn't believe it when I opened my inbox and there were 18 new reviews. I did a bit of choking then a bit of crying then a lot of laughing, then bounced around the house for an hour on an incredible high. Thanx you guys, I couldn't have finished the story without your reviews. 


End file.
